Discovery Box| (0.20) | (Isa 14:30) | 1 tc The Hebrew text has, “the firstborn of the poor will graze.” “Firstborn” may be used here in an idiomatic sense to indicate the very poorest of the poor. See BDB 114 s.v. בְּכוֹר. The translation above assumes an emendation of בְּכוֹרֵי (bekhore, “firstborn of”) to בְּכָרַי (bekharay, “in my pastures”). |
| (0.20) | (Isa 13:6) | 2 tn Heb “like destruction from the Sovereign One it comes.” The comparative preposition (כ, kaf) has here the rhetorical nuance, “in every way like.” The point is that the destruction unleashed will have all the earmarks of divine judgment. One could paraphrase, “it comes as only destructive divine judgment can.” On this use of the preposition in general, see GKC 376 §118.x. |
| (0.20) | (Isa 11:15) | 5 tn Heb “with the [?] of his wind” [or “breath”]. The Hebrew term עַיָם (ʿayam) occurs only here. Some attempt to relate the word to an Arabic root and translate, “scorching [or “hot”] wind.” This interpretation fits especially well if one reads “dry up” in the previous line. Others prefer to emend the form to עֹצֶם (ʿotsem, “strong”). See HALOT 817 s.v. עֲצַם. |
| (0.20) | (Isa 11:8) | 5 sn The transformation of the animal kingdom depicted here typifies what will occur in human society under the just rule of the ideal king (see vv. 3-5). The categories “predator-prey” (i.e., oppressor-oppressed) will no longer exist. |
| (0.20) | (Isa 11:2) | 2 tn Heb “a spirit of wisdom and understanding.” The synonyms are joined here to emphasize the degree of wisdom he will possess. His wisdom will enable him to make just legal decisions (v. 3). A very similar phrase occurs in Eph 1:17. |
| (0.20) | (Isa 10:33) | 1 tc The Hebrew text reads “with terrifying power,” or “with a crash.” מַעֲרָצָה (maʿaratsah, “terrifying power” or “crash”) occurs only here. Several have suggested an emendation to מַעֲצָד (maʿatsad, “ax”) parallel to “ax” in v. 34; see HALOT 615 s.v. מַעֲצָד and H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:448. |
| (0.20) | (Isa 11:1) | 2 tc The Hebrew text has יִפְרֶה (yifreh, “will bear fruit,” from פָּרָה, parah), but the ancient versions, as well as the parallelism suggest that יִפְרַח (yifrakh, “will sprout”, from פָּרַח, parakh) is the better reading here. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:276, n. 2. |
| (0.20) | (Isa 10:18) | 1 tn Heb “from breath to flesh it will destroy.” The expression “from breath to flesh” refers to the two basic components of a person, the immaterial (life’s breath) and the material (flesh). Here the phrase is used idiomatically to indicate totality. |
| (0.20) | (Isa 10:4) | 1 tn Heb “except one kneels in the place of the prisoner, and in the place of the slain [who] fall.” On the force of בִּלְתִּי (bilti, “except”) and its logical connection to what precedes, see BDB 116 s.v. בֵלֶת. On the force of תַּחַת (takhat, “in the place of”) here, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:258, n. 6. |
| (0.20) | (Isa 10:9) | 1 sn Calneh…Carchemish…Hamath…Arpad…Samaria…Damascus. The city states listed here were conquered by the Assyrians between 740-717 b.c. The point of the rhetorical questions is that no one can stand before Assyria’s might. On the geographical, rather than chronological arrangement of the cities, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:264, n. 4. |
| (0.20) | (Isa 8:7) | 2 tn Heb “the mighty and abundant waters of the river.” The referent of “the river” here, the Euphrates River, has been specified in the translation for clarity. As the immediately following words indicate, these waters symbolize the Assyrian king and his armies, which will, as it were, inundate the land. |
| (0.20) | (Isa 6:13) | 4 tn The noun מַצֶּבֶת (matsevet) occurs only 4 times, twice in 2 Sam 18:18 and twice here. Most translations render it as “stump” (NASB, NIV, NRSV, ESV). HALOT identifies it as a memorial stone in 2 Sam 18:18 and says for Isa 6:13 that “the earlier translation ‘root-stock’ is questionable” (HALOT 621 s.v.). |
| (0.20) | (Isa 7:2) | 3 tn Heb “and his heart shook and the heart of his people shook, like the shaking of the trees of the forest before the wind.” The singular pronoun “his” is collective, referring to the Davidic house/family. לֵבָב (levav, “heart”) here refers to the seat of the emotions. |
| (0.20) | (Isa 5:13) | 4 tn Heb “Their glory will be men of hunger.” כָּבוֹד (kavod, “glory”) is in opposition to הָמוֹן (hamon, “masses”) and refers here to the rich and prominent members of the nation. Some prefer to repoint מְתֵי (metey, “men of”) as מֵתֵי (metey, “dead ones of”). |
| (0.20) | (Isa 5:16) | 3 sn The appearance of מִשְׁפָט (mishpat, “justice”) and צְדָקָה (tsedaqah, “fairness”) here is rhetorically significant, when one recalls v. 7. There God denounces his people for failing to produce a society where “justice” and “fairness” are valued and maintained. God will judge his people for their failure, taking “justice” and “fairness” into his own hands. |
| (0.20) | (Isa 5:22) | 1 tn The language used here is quite sarcastic and paves the way for the shocking description of the enemy army in vv. 25-30. The rich leaders of Judah are nothing but “party animals” who are totally incapable of withstanding real warriors. |
| (0.20) | (Isa 5:7) | 4 tn Heb “but, look, disobedience.” The precise meaning of מִשְׂפָּח (mispakh), which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain. Some have suggested a meaning “bloodshed.” The term is obviously chosen for its wordplay value; it sounds very much like מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat, “justice”). The sound play draws attention to the point being made; the people have not met the Lord’s expectations. |
| (0.20) | (Isa 5:10) | 1 tn Heb “a ten-yoke vineyard.” The Hebrew term צֶמֶד (tsemed, “yoke”) is here a unit of square measure. Apparently a ten-yoke vineyard covered the same amount of land it would take ten teams of oxen to plow in a certain period of time. The exact size is unknown. |
| (0.20) | (Isa 3:3) | 2 tn Heb “and the wise with respect to magic.” On the meaning of חֲרָשִׁים (kharashim, “magic”), see HALOT 358 s.v. III חרשׁ. Some understand here a homonym, meaning “craftsmen.” In this case, one could translate, “skilled craftsmen” (cf. NIV, NASB). |
| (0.20) | (Isa 2:9) | 2 tn Heb “don’t lift them up.” The idiom “lift up” (נָשָׂא with לְ, nasaʾ with preposition lamed) can mean “spare, forgive” (see Gen 18:24, 26). Here the idiom plays on the preceding verbs. The idolaters are bowed low as they worship their false gods; the prophet asks God not to “lift them up.” |
